Uluru - Ayers Rock

Few visitors to Uluru (Ayers Rock) return unchanged. It's easy to see why this ruddy, sandstone monolith and its surrounding land is so spiritually and culturally significant to the Anangu Aboriginal people. Uluru holds a significant place in the Anangu people's creation stories and laws, known as Tjukurpa. Many stories relate to how ancestral beings formed the rock, and Aboriginal guides share these ancient tales with visitors during tours around Uluru's base. There is truly a definite "feel" to this place.

Uluru lies in Australia's "Red Centre" like an enormous, moody heart - there's even a special part on the side of the rock known as "the brain', which amazingly resembles the human brain in its rock formation! The soil in this amazing place is just like in the postcards - the definite rich, red soil of the true Outback! A walk around the base will reveal the scurrying sounds of little animals departing, or the smooth "wave-like" markings in the sand of a snake seeking refuge.

Uluru is 9.3 kilometres in circumference, with the icy-green and grey vegetation at its massive feet offering refuge for wildlife. It is immense in size, yet more than two-thirds of the rock is actually hidden beneath the ground. Then there's its sheer beauty - it outshines even the brilliant sunset, arraying itself in a multiplicity of hues from black to purple, blue to brown, orange and red throughout various times of day and different weather. It makes a spectacular contrast with the relatively flat sand plain that surrounds it.

Uluru's cousins, the Olgas, (or Kata Tjuta), form another sacred site just 32 kilometres away - a collection of 36 steep, rounded, russet domes over approximately 3,500 hectares. This is a haven for birds that have adapted to life in the harsh, arid conditions. Some of the birds that can be seen include the magnificent wedge-tailed eagle, brown and peregrine falcons, Australian kestrel, black-breasted kite and the woodswallow.

Uluru and the Olgas are encompassed by Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. At its entrance you can find all types of accommodation for your voyage of discovery - from campsites to luxury resorts. There are then so many ways to encounter/discover/enjoy/reflect on/appreciate the land surrounding Uluru. Take a cultural tour with an Aboriginal guide, or enjoy a campfire dinner, where you can savour barramundi, emu or kangaroo underneath a spectacular, starlit sky. Drink in the sunset while you sip champagne, or experience the landscape on a Harley Davidson. Many companies offer scenic rides or rent out bikes but you need to get in early sunrise and sunset are the prime times to be out touring due to the rock's changing colours with the light.

Better still, treat yourself by viewing this spectacular monolith and surrounding plains from a grand height - by either light plane, helicopter, or on a camel's back! You might like to step back in time to when camels were once the main means of travel in The Outback, by taking one of the many camel tours!

Few are ever totally prepared for a visit to the Uluru/Kata Tjuta region. Uluru/Ayers Rock is Australia's most recognisable natural icon, and is located a five-hour drive south-west of Alice Springs. The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is located 440 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs near the town of Yulara, and encompasses both Uluru/Ayers Rock and the great rock domes of Kata Tjuta/The Olgas, an ancient landform dating back 500 million years. Travellers visiting the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park can also browse through the informative and award-winning Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre. When exploring the base of Uluru/Ayers Rock, there are a number of excellent interpretative walks, including the Uluru Base Walk and the Kuniya Walk. The Valley of the Winds Walk winds through the domes of Kata Tjuta/The Olgas. These walks vary according to the fitness level of the participants, and of course from a safety perspective are restricted if the weather is too hot.

Mt Conner, located 100 kilometres east of Uluru/Ayers Rock, is a spectacular mesa that is often mistaken for Uluru. The mesa is three times as large as Uluru, and can be visited on a number of tours, which often include visits to the salt lakes of the Amadeus chain and the nearby Curtin Springs Station.

The Uluru/Kata Tjuta region also includes the stunning Kings Canyon, Watarrka National Park. Kings Canyon lies 310 kilometres west of Alice Springs. The Canyon's 300-metre high sandstone walls are breathtaking, and the surrounding area is home to diverse flora and fauna. Travellers can hike to the Canyon rim, follow a walking trail through the scenic desert surrounds, or stroll along the boulder-strewn valley floor. The 22-kilometre Giles Track begins at Kathleen Springs and ends at Kings Canyon, Watarrka National Park.

A visit to Uluru is a must! Take your walking gear, plenty of water, sunscreen, hat, some fruit or health bars - and your fly face-net (you'll be sorry if you don't - the flies love The Outback, too). A trip to the Red Centre will be, without a doubt, one of your best travel experiences!